Ryan Reynolds appeared at the National Board of Review Annual Awards Gala in New York City on Tuesday, flashing a smile and brushing off the legal drama surrounding his wife, Blake Lively, who recently sued Justin Baldoni. The Deadpool star, 48, seemed at ease as he took the stage as a presenter at the event, donning a sharp grey tuxedo and a white button-up shirt. Despite the public attention surrounding the lawsuit, Reynolds maintained a composed and confident appearance, enjoying the gala while leaving the legal matters behind for the evening.
Ryan Reynolds presented an award to Wicked, which was recognized as the best film of the year by the National Board of Review. After the ceremony, he was seen posing for photos with co-stars Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, and her boyfriend Ethan Slater.
In recent weeks, Reynolds and his wife, Blake Lively, have kept a low profile following her lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, her It Ends with Us co-star and director. Lively accused Baldoni of improvising unwanted kissing scenes and creating a hostile work environment through sexual harassment and other allegations. Despite the ongoing legal matters, Reynolds appeared to maintain a calm demeanor at the event.
The legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni escalated when The New York Times published an article revealing that Baldoni hired a crisis PR team to damage Lively’s credibility. Later that same day, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios company.
In response, Baldoni filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times, claiming the article pushed an “unverified and self-serving narrative.” He also accused Reynolds and Lively of “bullying” him. According to Baldoni, Reynolds “berated” him during a heated meeting at the couple’s home, accusing him of a range of offenses, including “fat shaming” Lively. Baldoni described the encounter as “traumatic” and said he had “never been spoken to like that in his life.”
However, an insider who attended the meeting told TMZ that while Reynolds was “angry and stern,” he did not scream or berate Baldoni. The insider described Reynolds’ tone as “impassioned,” but stated the confrontation did not escalate to the level of screaming or bullying. Baldoni also stated that he plans to sue Lively as part of their ongoing legal dispute.
The insider also addressed the lawsuit’s characterization of the meeting between Baldoni, Lively, and Reynolds, emphasizing that all parties were aware that Baldoni’s alleged behavior would be discussed, so nobody was caught off guard. The source also denied the claim that celebrities were casually present at the couple’s home during the meeting, stating that no such arrivals or departures occurred.
The lawsuit describes the January 4 meeting as an unexpected confrontation. Baldoni, other producers, and a representative from Sony were reportedly eager to discuss plans for filming but were allegedly blindsided by Lively and Reynolds, who presented a list of grievances. Reynolds is said to have launched into a tirade, demanding an apology from Baldoni for actions that he claims were mischaracterized. Baldoni, who resisted apologizing, described the encounter as “traumatic.” The producer and Sony representative who attended the meeting reportedly left in shock, with the producer remarking that in his 40-year career, he had never witnessed such behavior.
Following the incident, Baldoni claims Lively took over the movie project and used her and Reynolds’ influence to damage his career. He also alleges that before the release of the Deadpool & Wolverine movie in July, Reynolds approached Baldoni’s agent, demanding that the agent “drop” Baldoni from their roster.
The lawsuit was filed after a December 20 story by The New York Times alleged that a Hollywood “smear machine” had been activated to discredit Lively.
